Fire to the Rain
by PlatinumViola
Summary: A short one-shot of Thuke in the later years. Slightly AU, not a songfic. Thalia had always suspected Luke's traitorship - but perhaps it was a side of him that she always wanted to ignore. After all, love is supposed to be blind, right?


**Slightly AU. Luke has remained at camp even after Thalia has joined the Hunters. Slightly inspired by Adele's Fire To the Rain. I always thought that Thalia might've suspected all along about Luke's traitorship, a side that she always wanted to ignore... because, well, love is supposed to be blind, right?**

Thalia shifted slightly, feeling both pained and joyed at watching Luke teach swordfighting that afternoon. The Hunters were around Long Island, and Thalia could be relieved of her duties as lieutenant – at least for a couple hours. And yes, those hours she chose to spend back here at camp, watching Luke fix awkward stances and teaching sparring techniques.

There was something about watching him move in the bright sun, a thin sheen of sweat on his shoulders, mouthing words she couldn't hear over her blasting headphones. He looked so nice, so friendly, so helpful, so _handsome_... Thalia stopped herself abruptly. This was the whole reason why she had joined the Hunters in the first place.

Luke was history – those perfect days of spanning the country with him and Annabeth nothing but a memory. It wasn't anything substantial anymore. Still, the girl in her wouldn't let it be that way, just for today. So without her even trying, her heartbeat quickened just a little as he caught sight of her after the lesson, and started crossing the distance between them. He held a bottle of water in his hand, drinking it thirstily, and Thalia smiled, trying to look nonchalant.

"Hey," Luke grinned. "It's been a while."

"Not too long," she smiled back, sliding her headphones off.

"Too long," he insisted, leaning a bit closer. "Long enough for things to change around here."

Thalia tipped her head. "Meaning?"

Luke refused to meet her eyes. "Long enough for people to switch sides," he said, looking away.

"What?"

"What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I had some time off—"

"And you came to see me?"

"Not really. Well, yeah. Like you said, it's been a while." She falters for a moment, then, "What the heck are you talking about, switching sides? You mean the demigods who have joined Kronos?"

"Hey, Thalia, we're family. I tell you things. But this is war." Briefly, he meets her eyes, but they're gone before she can fixate on them. "And war has two faces, two sides. And you can only know one."

Her forehead crinkled, and she leaned forward, trying to make sense of what he was saying – but even then, a sinking feeling told her that she wasn't getting any more.

"Luke. What are you saying?"

He sighed, as if she was annoying that very moment. "There's always a side to people that you'll never know, Thals. Always things they'll say that are never true. And this game that we're playing – this war, this battle – I'm going to win."

Thalia shook her head slowly. "Yeah, Luke. Of course we're going to win. I'm not having it any other way. Kronos can go to Tartarus."

Luke laughed, a laugh that felt unnervingly mean. "The game we play, I'm going to win."

Suddenly, Luke stood, and Thalia was too slow to hold him back. "Thals, you never know, it might be the last time we see each other again. So... it's goodbye." Then, almost as if he was remembering the girl who stood by his side, fighting monsters together – the girl who slept by him at night, sharing her warmth with him; but just as quickly it is gone. He brushes his knuckles against her neck. "Bye, Thalia."

She stands to watch him go, but she doesn't do anything to stop him. She closes her mouth quickly, as if forgetting that it had hung open half this time. And suddenly, she knew that they – whatever it was that they had – were over. This was a side to him that she had never known, and this time he had played her. But he was wrong about _this _game. She would always win from now on.

Because even if she cries, even if the last person she loves dies, and the thunderstorms comes pouring down –

She can set fire to the rain.

**Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


End file.
